In the first half of this two part article, your own personal psychology was talked about but you have to also take into consideration that your opponent is also going through the same thing and must deal with his own psychology as well. In this half we will talk about how your opponent must deal with the image you set forth. Also what you think about at a table and how you figure out how you should play to maximize your psychological repercussions against your opponents own minds.
There are two specific poles that a player can fall any where in-between, and that’s either being a tight player or a loose player. But the player can just as easily alter his/her own image in however way they can imagine, than be subject to a style of any type. More often than not players will fall into a more comfortable form of play and this could be considered their style but there is nothing to say you will or should play like this all the time. Being more of a loose or tighter player just depends on comfort and what a player may find works best for them. You should always keep in mind that just as any other tool in a player’s arsenal, the image you project can be used against another opponent and to your advantage. After playing for a while it should become readily apparent soon after sitting down and watching some hands go by, what type of player’s sit at the table and how in general the table is trending.
Being a tight player can certainly gain you a reputation at a table, especially after you win a few big pots with people chasing you. Yet another thing you have to remember even though it may pick you up blinds and allow you to grab up pots relatively easily after you prove yourself; the fear you will set down of your ‘perceived’ solid hands will shut out a lot of players that might otherwise chase you. Using this image is what you need to now learn to use.
On the other hand it also can be dangerous to play loose. If you do play loose and go for a lot of draw hands a few players are almost guaranteed to catch on and might chase you down more than is good for your own bankroll. However when playing loose you traditionally play in more hands, which in turn can pay off, especially since you have greater chance to hit those full houses and sets (three of one kind) that are rarer. But again it is dangerous to play because players may pry more money from your stacks than you would like, it’s a fine-lined style of play.
Both those styles being seen though, a good player should constantly mix it up, as unpredictability is the scariest of all styles, in my opinion a while organized system of switching styles at a game can make a lot of money and keep your opponents on their twos and worried, which is exactly what you want! You should also try to always stay calm regardless of bad beats and you should learn to recognize a player on tilt (basically a player that has lost their cool and are subject to bad calls). This generally happens to a player after losing a large pot or a few pots in a row. You need to recognize if this is happening to you and just leave a table, you can’t tilt you need to force your opponents to tilt. It can make you good money taking liberties with players that can’t control their emotions and throw their money away, who better to pick it up than you?
